How To Filter Emails In Hotmail Using Rules Learn how to filter emails in Gmail and how to filter emails in Yahoo if you also have a Gmail or Yahoo email address. Hotmail isn't the only email service that filters mail. For example, you could set up a rule to send notices about a new issue of your favorite magazine to your Read Later folder or mark the receipts from your recent purchases as important. Hotmail uses rules to filter messages automatically according to the parameters you set, making it easier for you to organize and manage your mailbox. These rules contain the information Outlook needs to move emails to specified folders and to delete, categorize, or forward messages. When you want to apply the same filter action to certain types of incoming mail, set up a Hotmail rule. For example, the Hotmail spam filter settings keep junk mail out of your Inbox. also has built-in email filtering features that sort and move messages automatically. To use these filters, go to the top of your mail list and select the Filter drop-down menu to see your options. You can use these filters to show certain types of emails, such as unread messages, flagged emails, or mail with attachments. Quickly find and delete all the emails you don't need anymore.